India could be heading toward a new debate over the minimum age at which children should be allowed to independently use social media and online gaming platforms. A proposed private member’s bill in Parliament seeks to establish stronger protections for minors, including verified parental consent for children below 13.
The proposal, known as the Safeguarding Healthy Internet Environments for Little Digital-Natives, or SHIELD Bill, 2025, has been moved by BJP MP Baijayant Panda. It seeks to place new responsibilities on social media companies, gaming platforms and other digital intermediaries that provide services to minors.
At the heart of the proposal is the idea that very young children should not be able to independently create accounts on major digital platforms. Under the proposed framework, users below 13 would require verified parental consent.
The proposal reflects growing concern over the age at which children should be exposed to online communities. Unlike traditional media, social media platforms are interactive environments in which users can communicate with strangers, receive personalised recommendations and encounter content that may not be appropriate for their age.
The proposed legislation therefore focuses not only on account creation but also on the responsibilities of platforms after a child enters the digital ecosystem.
One of the proposed measures is mandatory age verification. Platforms accessible to minors would be expected to establish systems capable of determining users’ ages. This could become one of the most technically challenging parts of the proposed framework because digital services would need to distinguish between children and adults while also protecting personal information.
The bill also proposes parental-control dashboards. These tools could allow parents or guardians to monitor activity, manage privacy settings and impose restrictions on screen time. The objective is to give families greater control over children’s digital habits rather than leaving online safety entirely to individual platforms.
Data protection is another major component of the proposal. The bill seeks restrictions on tracking, profiling and personalised advertising directed at minors. This could represent a significant change for platforms whose business models depend heavily on collecting information about users and using that information to personalise content or advertisements.
The proposal also seeks to create stronger barriers against harmful material. Platforms would have responsibilities to protect children from pornography, gambling and simulated betting, violent or extremist content and material related to drugs.
The issue is particularly significant because online gaming is included alongside social media. Gaming platforms increasingly contain social features, chat functions, virtual communities and systems involving digital purchases. The bill’s inclusion of gaming suggests that policymakers are looking beyond traditional social networking sites when considering children’s online safety.
At the same time, the proposal has not become law. The SHIELD Bill was listed for introduction as a private member’s bill but could not be taken up because the House was adjourned.
A private member’s bill is different from government legislation and does not automatically become law simply because it is presented in Parliament. It must go through the legislative process before any proposed restrictions can take effect.
The debate surrounding the bill is therefore likely to continue. Supporters may see age verification and parental consent as necessary tools for protecting children from online risks. Others could raise questions about implementation, privacy and whether children might find ways around age restrictions.
Ultimately, the SHIELD Bill places a larger question before India: how should children’s rights and safety be protected in an environment designed primarily for adults?
The answer could shape the country’s approach to digital platforms for years to come.
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